Baseball Coaches

Mark Yoshino

Head Coach

Coach Mark Yoshino enters his seventeenth year as Head Coach and twenty-second year of coaching overall at Bellevue. Yoshino was fortunate to take over a team that has only had one losing season in over 30 years. In a day and age where coaching turnover is high at all levels, the consistent success of the baseball program is partly due to the coaching stability at BC. Yoshino follows a short list of baseball coaches at Bellevue, which includes Jim Harryman, Ray Washburn, Bob Albo, Jim Johnson, and his predecessor, Mike Kanzaki. During his tenure at Bellevue, Yoshino has played an active role in the growth of the program to a national scale. The team is the only NWAC school to be ranked nationally on a regular basis ( #43 in 2012, #8 in 2011, #18 in 2007). Since his inception into Bellevue College athletics in 1994, Yoshino has helped over 170 players move on to continue playing baseball and furthering their education at four-year colleges, set a school record for most wins in a season, and increased net fundraising revenue by 50%.

Yoshino has been very involved on the community service front as well. He has been involved with helping youth baseball leagues on the eastside from the Little League to American Legion level. His commitment to the eastside baseball community is evident by his attendance at youth baseball games in addition volunteering time to numerous coaching clinics as well. Yoshino has also helped cultivate several facility development projects for Courter Field along with an increase in the number of student-athletes graduating with a two-year degree while playing baseball at the college. The team is currently graduating approximately 90-95% of their sophomores, which is a major success for athletic programs at the community college level. Yoshino has coached 33 players who were drafted by professional teams. He has had twenty-three pitchers drafted since his inception in ’94 with thirteen signing professionally in the last eight years including Adrian Sampson, who was the highest junior college pitcher selected in the country in 2012. Yoshino has also had two in the Major Leagues. The pitching success and development of pitchers has remained a constant factor for all of the Bellevue teams. Most notable of the pitcher achievements year in and out is their increase in stock; whether it be for the professional draft or college opportunities. With his coaching experience, playing experience as a pitcher, and academic background detailing pitching mechanics, the development of the pitchers is one of the greatest accomplishments that isn’t directly reflected by championships on paper.

His first year not only was successful by his own terms, but also was one of the best seasons ever in school history. Yoshino earned North Region Coach of the Year honors for assembling a region championship club. In addition to the team setting a school record for wins, Yoshino felt that the program’s greatest accomplishments that year were individual, as ten of twelve second-year players earned a degree. In addition, nine of those were recruited by and placed into four-year college baseball programs. The ’02 season will also go down in Bellevue history as one of the greatest teams for their 34-14 record and runner-up finish at the NWAC Championships. Bellevue finished with the number one ranking in the NWAC Coaches’ Poll in ’02 as Yoshino was named Coach of the Year.

2007 was one of the greatest as far as the team goes, but was another success for Coach Yoshino’s primary goals: graduation and moving on to a four-year institution. 13 players from the team went to four-year colleges while 9 of them received their transfer degree. A final national ranking of 18th along with winning the school’s first NWAC Championship in over 28 years was just icing on the cake.

In 2009, the team captured their second NWAC Championship in three years. The team had two junior college All-Americans, two players in the Major League draft, and fifteen players continuing on to play at the four-year level (with nine receiving scholarships to division one universities). Yoshino was named Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association for the Pacific Association Division (all community colleges in Washington, Oregon, and California).

2011 was memorable as well. In addition to capturing their third NWAC title in the last five years, the squad was ranked #8 in the nation and had three players selected in the Major League Amateur draft.

A 1987 Interlake HS grad, Yoshino accumulated several accomplishments as a pitcher in both high school and college. As a junior, Yoshino sported a 0.60 ERA for the 24-1 Saints, who captured the class AAA state championship in addition to a final ranking of 16th in the nation by U.S.A. Today. The following year, Yoshino earned All-KingCo honors. Yoshino then took the mound at Edmonds CC, compiling a two-year record of 12-1 for Coach Bill Stubbs. In 1989, Edmonds finished second in the NWAACC with a 40-6 record, one of only three teams to win 40 games in the history of NWAACC baseball. Yoshino was named recipient of the Art Feiro Award (first and only Edmonds CC athlete to ever receive this honor), which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in the NWAC.

Yoshino spent one season as pitching coach at Edmonds CC, where his staff sported the lowest team ERA (2.40) in the NWAACC. He is a regular clinician-speaker at several events in the region including the Pemco All-Sports Clinic and the Pacific Northwest (NW Star) Coaches’ Convention.

Yoshino earned his master’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University in exercise science/athletic administration. He graduated with honors and a 3.9 G.P.A. In 1993, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in exercise & sport science from Western Washington University. He was selected by the faculty at Western as the Outstanding Graduating Senior and Physical Education Major of the Year for graduating with a 4.0 G.P.A. Yoshino also served an internship at the Philadelphia Phillies spring training site in Clearwater, FL. Yoshino earned the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist title, which is recognized by university athletic and professional sport organizations as the credential to work with elite athletes at either level.

Yoshino’s academic and professional credentials in the health & fitness field have given him the opportunity to also work at the college as a full-time tenured faculty member in physical education and health. He is also the Associate Athletic Director, Men’s Athletic Commissioner and chair of the NWAC Executive Board. He is a recipient of the Dutch Triebwasser Award, given annually to the conference’s top administrator. Although mostly known for his hard work on the baseball diamond, Yoshino is just as proud of his efforts ‘in the classroom’ – as a student and as an instructor. To Yoshino, these accolades are the true reflection of his efforts at serving as a positive role model for the players at Bellevue. His promotion of sportsmanship while still demonstrating success in a competitive college athletic environment has been recognized by his peers. His commitment towards enhancing the image of Pacific Northwest baseball is also evidenced by his active role on the Baseball Committee and NWAC representative for the Pacific Association Division (all California, Oregon, and Washington 2-year colleges) of the American Baseball Coaches’ Association. Yoshino and his wife Lisa have two children Quinn (7) and Molly (5) and reside in Renton.

Kevin Miller

Associate Head Coach

Kevin Miller serves as Associate Head Coach for Bellevue, as he enters his sixth season for Bellevue. He was previously an assistant coach at the University of Washington. Miller will continue to oversee hitting, infielders and will coach third base during games for Bellevue.

2011 was a year to remember for the Bulldog hitters under Miller’s tutelage. The team clubbed 55 home runs (wood bat) during the season, shattering the NWAC record. The team also sported one of the highest team batting averages in the NWAC as well. Equally as impressive is Bellevue’s consistent high ranking in stolen bases on an annual basis; an indication of how complete Miller’s development is with the offense here at Bellevue. Tyler Cox, one of his former players he developed, became one of the most feared hitters in the NWAC and was named an All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2011. In his brief tenure, the number of hitters who have developed under him into professional and/or division one level prospects looms large; players such as Cox, Ian Parmley (7th round draft pick, Northwest League All-Star), Kyle Conwell (Los Angeles Dodgers, draft pick), Colin Hering (cleanup hitter at Coastal Carolina University), Tyler Baumgartner (University of Oregon), in addition to last year’s All-Americans Max Brown (Kansas State) and Jordan Richartz (University of Hawaii) are just a sampling of hitters who came into the Bellevue program relatively unnoticed in high school and left with great opportunities at a higher level.

The 2013 squad featured seven hitters who are now playing four-year college baseball. Miller has nine total hitters who are still playing NCAA division one baseball. Colin Hering, a player who spent three years under Miller at Bellevue, was transformed from a left-handed pitcher only to a power hitter with speed, and was recently drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers after being a two-year starter at Coastal Carolina University.

Also big on Miller’s resume is his role with USA Baseball. Miller is the only coach in the NWAC involved in the selection of the US U-18 National Team. Miller has been invited by USA Baseball on an annual basis along with several prominent NCAA division one coaches to train and select the top high school prospects in the country that represent the United States in international competition. The two week selection trials are held annually at USA Baseball headquarters in Cary, NC in mid-June.

As a player, Miller was a key component of perhaps the greatest era in Washington baseball history as he helped the Diamond Dawgs to three straight Pac-10 North titles (1996-97-98) and two consecutive overall Pac-10 crowns (1997-98). He was named the Pac-10 North Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore and was first-team all-league all three years. Additionally, he was a first-team Freshman All-America selection in 1996 and earned second-team All-America honors in 1997 and 1998.

When his college career was over, Miller had set UW records for RBI in a season and in a career and was the Husky career record holder with 30 home runs. He also set a school record that still stands with a 22-game hitting streak in 1997.

Drafted in the seventh round out of Ballard HS (he was, at the time, the highest-drafted freshman ever to come to UW), Miller was selected by Oakland in the third round of the 1998 draft. After going straight to high-A ball to play with the Modesto A’s, his pro career was cut short by a severe ankle injury.

Prior to coming back to coach at Washington, Miller had spent the last four seasons as head coach at Ballard HS, his alma mater. In 2007, he was named the KingCo 4A Coach of the Year. Miller also spent two seasons as an assistant for the Beavers after a year as an assistant at Garfield HS.

Miller has also coached several 18-year old summer teams, including a year as Head Coach of the Shockers and the last eight with Baden Baseball. Miller is the hitting director for all Baden summer teams and coaches the U-18 club.

During his high school playing career, Miller was a three-time first-team All-Metro League selection and was the 1995 Metro League Player of the Year. He batted .727 with 20 walks as a senior and helped the Beavers to the state playoffs as a junior and senior. He also earned varsity letters in basketball and swimming.

Miller resides in Seattle and has two sons, Tyler (12) and Kameron (9).

Bryan Barnes

Assistant Coach

Bryan Barnes begins his third year at Bellevue in 2013 as a coach…the highly acclaimed shortstop out of Mountlake Terrace HS enjoyed quite a journey as player before ending his career as a two-year starter for Ohio University. Barnes will work with infielders, hitters, and baserunning along with assistants Wight and Miller. In the summers, Barnes coaches the Baden Baseball Club U-16 club.

Barnes was an All-North Region, All-NWAACC, and Pacific Association All-American infielder during his one year at Bellevue. He hit .383 for the Bulldogs, leading them to one of the most amazing comebacks from 4th place finishers in the region to NWAACC Champions. Originally a verbal commit to Oregon State University after being sought out by a number of Pac-10 schools as a junior in high school, Barnes transferred to Bellevue from Gonzaga University where a season long back injury prevented his stay there. Coming back to the two-year level proved to be good fortune for Barnes, as he signed with Ohio University during the early November signing period before even playing an inning for Bellevue.

Barnes played in both the prestigious Area Code Games and Mariner Cup in ’06. He was a four-year letter-winner at Mountlake Terrace HS and was named Second-Team All-State. He held a 3.75 GPA at Terrace and continued his academic excellence at Bellevue earning all-academic honors. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in Business-marketing after his senior year in 2011.